Originally Posted by engadget

We've always believed that the perceived quality boost that comes from using high-end cables is really just a trick of the mind (read: justifying the ridiculous cost of premium cables to yourself) -- if you've dropped enough cash, you can probably hear anything you want. Still, our belief is one thing -- cold hard proof is another, and it looks like a group of 12 self-professed "audiophiles" recently couldn't tell the difference between Monster 1000 speaker cables and plain old coat hangers. Yeah, coat hangers.

(snip)

Originally Posted by Druchii (Post 34500904)

Wow :D I never knew this, although i did know that most people can't tell the difference between vinyl and CD.... Which is odd. I love Vinyl compared to CD :(

Originally Posted by AntiSilence (Post 34500898)

Makes perfect sense. Using bog standard 2-core mains cable for your speakers is as good as any high-end over-priced cable they dupe people into buying.

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter (Post 34504033)

Monster cables aren't really very expensive in hi-fi snobbery terms ;) The test does prove a valid point though: unless you're going to spend over £500 on a pair of speaker cables there probably won't be any tangible difference in the sound quality. Even then you could argue that the magnitude of audible difference will have you asking the more money than sense question.

Twin & Earth does indeed do a perfectly good job

Originally Posted by Stuart C (Post 34504076)

Unless you are using long cables (> 20 metres), would spending £500 *really* make an audible difference? I know that at work, when we refitted the lecture theatres this summer, we spent a lot of money (don't know how much) on Cable, but then the average cable run was nearly 30 metres.

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter (Post 34504152)

That's £500 for a couple of 0.5m pairs ;)

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter (Post 34504033)

The test does prove a valid point though: unless you're going to spend over £500 on a pair of speaker cables there probably won't be any tangible difference in the sound quality.

Originally Posted by Stuart C (Post 34504163)

Does it really make an audible difference though?